The growing controversy over whether or not the Washington Redskins should keep their nickname has me thinking about daylight saving time.

In the early morning hours of Nov. 3, we all remembered to “fall back and spring forward” and dutifully declared that 3 a.m. was now 2. a.m.. From that point on, 10 a.m. was 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. was actually 2 p.m…. because we all agreed it was… because we said it was. Move along, people, no cognitive dissonance to see here.

Of course, those in the military didn’t say that it was 2 p.m. but rather 14:00 hours. Same difference, as they say, but at least we could all agree that the year was 2013 (You know, Anno Domini, in the year of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ). Well, unless you were using a Jewish calendar or a Chinese calendar. In that case, it wasn’t 2013 at all. So what was it? So what is it?

Which is to say that, when it comes to the “Redskins” nickname controversy, it’s almost impossible not to hold two conflicting viewpoints at the same time. It hurts the brain.

The easiest thing to do is pull a Dragnet (“Just the facts, ma’am) and see the word for what it is: racist. The best way to win a debate is to choose the right side and there’s no way I’d defend that word. There’s a spectrum of language here and I think I can make a case that Braves, Warriors, Seminoles, Fighting Sioux and even Indians (In this case, the “Original Sin” of misnomers) can be put in the same category as Fighting Irish, Fighting Scots, Demon Deacons, and Blue Devils.

But “Redskins” is a different story. If racism is judging people by the color of their skin, then let’s break down the meaning of the word. “Red” is a color and “skin” is, well, skin. Indefensible.

But that doesn’t mean the people who use that word to support their team are racist. No way. As a lifelong football fan, I swear that I never even thought about the word because it was just…there. It was the name of their team. I never attached any negative connotation to the word and I’m sure Washington fans don’t, either. They think of Sonny Jurgensen, Billy Kilmer, John Riggins, and now RGIII. Heck, as a kid, the team I hated (and still do) was the Cowboys.

So if a word has racist roots but no one uses it that way, is it still racist? Is it wrong for Vikings fans wear those horned helmets and make a cartoon of Nordic culture? Is it wrong to talk to Captain Richard Philips, he of the Maersk Alabama, about “Buccaneers” and “Pirates”?

Page 2 of 2 - I hate people who sit on the fence, so here’s my take: it’s a missed opportunity. The team’s owner, Daniel Snyder, should be out in front of this and change the name for the right reasons, not because of political correctness. He could involve local tribes and his diehard fan base and he could start a new tradition. After all, the team was once called the Boston Redskins and someone started a new tradition by moving the team to the nation’s capital.

However, the more Snyder holds on, the more people see the word on its own. That’s a bad thing for Snyder.

At this point, the name is vestigial and, as First Corinthians 13:11 tells us: “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, understood as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”